I thought I should stop procrastinating

[DerekM]

Tony did you replace the headlight and bezel? If so what are you running?

[Tony Smith]

Tony did you replace the headlight and bezel? If so what are you running?

I am still trying to locate a "proper" headlight to fit into the standard bucket and bezel, although I am forced to admit that the search is not going well.
 
In the interim I have fitted a very cheap and nasty light from ebay - see the photos on the google+ link in one of my earlier posts.
 
If I cannot find a automotive light to fit the BMW bezel I will with some reluctance fit the complete headlight assembly from a Yamaha XS750. This has the advantage of accepting a standard auto semi-sealed lamp, but I am reluctant to use it as I am on the scout for an XS750/850 to restore and I can feel in my water that if I use the headlight I have hoarded all these years, inevitably the restoration candidate will need one as well.

[Tony Smith]

I have finally picked my heads and barrels up. Yay.
 
So why, when I posted I was picking them up on 26 June did it take so long? Well, there is a tale......
 
When I first decided to rebuild the R65 back in 2013 my thoughts turned to cylinder heads and barrels as my RHS head and barrel were cactus after dropping a valve.
  
After searching the world for a singleton head and barrel I ended up buying a set of "small valve" heads from Steve Hawsley "Boxerman" in the UK (and Barrels/Pistons from the USA). Steve told me that they were small valve heads that he had acquired for unknown or forgotten reasons and that I should look over them carefully before using.  
 
Pity I didn't follow good advice.
 
I simply matched the casting number to the right valves and ordered them from motobins. When they arrived I gave them to a local engineering firm in whom I have faith - they took one look as said "two weeks in the washer and then we will look at them.
 
The first drama was that they identified a loose valve guide - back to Moto bins for an oversized guide. I am particularly dirty on the topic of the O/S guide as not only was it bloody expensive, it was also very, very tight, in fact it would have been a valve drop waiting to happen - as all the other guides were being k-lined, it got the same treatment and was reamed to the correct running clearance.
 
But I am getting ahead of myself. The shop rang and said that the valves I supplied were the wrong ones. I went, had a look and sure enough the heads were fitted with the bigger valves. But how was this so given the casting numbers?

Well after they came out of the washing machine, the heads show the result of someone spending a lot of money on someone with a porting tool and flow bench, somewhere along the line they also paid to have the bigger valves fitted, Yay me!.
 
Photos of my ported and polished R65 heads tonight if I can resist slamming them on the engine and going for a ride that is....

[Tony Smith]

Well, the sump is off for investigation and cleaning.
 
I do apologize for the very crappy photos, I used a very old Panasonic camera that I am sure in better (steadier) hands can take excellent photos, me, I've become reliant on the electronic trickery of more modern digitals....
 
Anyway, no real surprise as to the contents of the sump, i expected to find "nuggets" of alloy and that is what I found. I have already had the conrods out so I know that the aluminium filings didn't get past the screen and filter, the sump screen is a disgusting mess (more on that in a minute) and the filter is well speckled with fine alloy "sand".
 
The big surprise was the discovery that the PO cracked the sump and had it welded (badly). It obviously still leaked so he smeared the inside with black RTV, the pump screen is more than a bit chocked with the insidious stuff, had the valve not dropped I suspect that in a short time it would have died of lubrication failure.
 
RTV in small quantities is a fantastic thing, "sausages" of RTV loose inside your engine are not!.
 

[Tony Smith]

Here is a much better picture of the cleaned up sump.

The RTV remaining in the base of the sump is fully cured, in fact it has been immersed in oil for at least 20 years and has 100% adhesion at the edges. I've canceled the rushed plan to buy a new sump and this one is going back on tomorrow.
 
The mistake made by the PO was to use RTV as a gasket and to use too much of it.

[Tony Smith]

Well not too much procrastinating today.

Pistons, barrels and heads on today. And last job, timing cover off so I can clean up the end of the crank and replace the outrigger bearing.

I reckon i will hear it run tomorrow. got to sort the electrics under the front cover and put a new plug on the ATU.
 
First job tomorrow,  to give my back a rest, clean up the carbs and put a rebuild kit through them.

[montmil]

Closer and closer...  

[Luca]

Look at those lovely valves!  I hope your camera will take video.  I'd love to hear them tick along.

RTV can be really nasty stuff.  If it were me I'd rip it out and re-seal the pan using lead.

[Tony Smith]

Closer and closer...  

Yes you are right. Had i realized what was required 18 months ago what I started I would have done things very differently, for instance in retrospect I wish i had completely dismantled it and sent the frame and swing-arm out for bead blasting and that I had all the allow soda blasted.

I wish that because the mechanical side of standing the old girl up has taken so much longer (and cost so much more) than I thought it would and in a few days time I am going to have a mechanically sound R65 that frankly looks like a bag of shite.

This was supposed to be an interim thing whilst I give the R100 a much overdue refit - instead it has turned into its own saga.

The "moral" of the story is that if you set out to get a motorcycle running, that last ran 20 years ago, and which had mechanical faults when it was parked, and which has been used as a Christmas tree for parts - well then you are in a world of hurt.

Doubtless I will feel more kindly disposed towards it in the next few days......

[Tony Smith]

Look at those lovely valves!  I hope your camera will take video.  I'd love to hear them tick along.

I am planning to "GoPro" the successful first start - that is to say that the footage of the less than successful starts, along with the swearing, will remain private.  :)http://www.bmwr65.org/htdocs/yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/smiley.gif

RTV can be really nasty stuff.  If it were me I'd rip it out and re-seal the pan using lead.

I could not agree more and the PO's usage of the be-dammed stuff instead of gaskets was within an ace of destroying the engine well before it dropped a valve. The oil screen was very near clogged with RTV "sausages" that resulted from wet RTC being squeezed out joint lines.

RTV can be used instead of gaskets, the secret is to use bugger all and let it dry before mating up.

However, in the case of it being used to fill the cracks in the sump, I'm happy to leave it there - it isn't going anywhere and has been immersed for 20 years. I will buy a 2nd hand sump in due course and swap them over on a maintenance day.

I had grand plans of putting in another big day today but I have caught a bug and spent most of last night with a temperature through the roof and shivering under multiple blankets, oddly enough, my lovely partner has it too and she is normally bug proof (as in no self respecting bug would dare to bite HER), so we are both feeling like crap, I will try and do the carbs this afternoon.

[Tony Smith]

Well my three day weekend is over and courtesy of the moronic Previous Owner I still haven't fired it up. I have a lengthy rant in the appropriate part of this board detailing how a weekend was lost undoing the idiocy he bequeathed me with.

And courtesy of our Government postal service I haven't got fork seals so i can't put a front wheel under the thing yet either.

Truthfully, unless I discover something else the MPO ("moronic previous owner") has left me with, its a case of hanging the carbs, connect temporary fuel supply, put in a battery, crank it with the coils disconnected until it oils up and then reconnect the coils and hit the button.


I thought I had some high temp insulation wire, but I can't find it so I used the old lead on the beancan, the keen eyes will see that it has cracked where it enters the can. I will use this one to get the bike running and for a few weeks with no major journeys. Courtesy of another member of R65.org I have a dead beancan to repair using on the the Siemens hall effect devices I have in stock. The MPO had it fill choc-a-bloc with wheel bearing grease, not wonder it was a bit stiff to turn over.
 
Also please note the lovely Junior Power Timer plug added by me today.

The other thing I did - I found the data plate, this made me very happy as whilst I could still register the bike without it fitted, it would have been a long and tedious argument with Public Servants and that is my second least favorite way of spending my time. Feb 1984 is the construction date, dunno why I thought it was 1985.

Qther things done this weekend:-

fitted new cone coupler vibration mounts (see rant for further discussion of the MPO)

Mounted up alternator and started proving the wiring.

Re-fitted exhaust system (now it is starting to look like a motorcycle again)
[/list]

In court doing my day job for 3 or 4 days this week so I'm not going to get near it again till next weekend.

As Monte said "Closer, ever closer".

[clonmore1]

"Had i realized what was required 18 months ago what I started I would have done things very differently".
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For what it's worth Tony, I kick myself frequently over the mistakes I have made with my resto. In fairness, life has dealt some cruel blows over the last three years, but I so wish I had thought mine through a little better.

I don't have the knowledge or expertise of most on this forum, but I sure have made my job a lot harder!!!!!

The key thing is to learn from the mistakes we make and just get on with it. I look forward to finishing mine over the next 6 months or so (with a little help from others... ).

I enjoy reading your posts and look forward to seeing the results of all your hard work.

Heads down gents and on with the work...

[Adrian]

Wow mate - one heck of a journey but some great picks. I hope it all works out fine for you and you're back riding it soon  

[Tony Smith]

It is a RUNNER!

Well for the first weekend in the last month i haven't had my mother in hospital with life threatening DVTs, my Father hasn't had another heart attack and our lovely old blue dog seems to have postponed her own shuffle into the quire eternal.


So, I actually got some work done.

Last weekend i discovered the starter motor was a bit sick and the sum total of my work was to re-condition it - fortunately a Bosch starter is a Bosch starter,  I had a good Pull in solenoid and a set of brushes dating back to my VW days, so the starter is now in fine fettle.

First thing I did today after testing it was to pull the spark-plugs out and take off the rocker covers and crank the engine until it was well oiled up. It took about 2 minutes in total before I was satisfied with the oiling to the rockers (LHS intake was the last to come up and I was in fact at the point of starting to pull stuff apart to find out why).
 
After oiling, I connected up a fuel source, refitted the spark-plugs and "went for it".
 
I had a bottle of ether on hand ready to give it some help, but to my utter and complete amazement  the magnificent old thing fired on about the third rotation and started running.
 
A bit smoky, but then I was using mower fuel. The LHS carb flooded so I'd best be finding out what is going on there.
 
I'm enthusiastic enough now to put the front suspension in, fit the brakes, rebuild the fuel ta and fill the tank - looking to ride it around the suburb tomorrow.
 
The little red assistant is Rosie the red cattle dog. She has taken an intense dislike to the R65 and was barking and biting it. I think because I have spent so much time that in her view should have been used for dog walking purposes of the past few months.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjQo0W_4i4M

[Luca]

BRAVO!!!

Hopefully you just have a speck of something on the float needle or the float is just stuck on its pivot pin.